Just a lil love from home

The Grey Beard Adventurer, Dale Sanders, grew up on a family-owned farm in Lickskillet, Kentucky.  The farm sits snugly on a crooked little back road called Cedar Grove Road.  Surrounding the farm on three sides, the Whippoorwill Creek flows and winds, and is the place where Dale Sanders learned to swim and love the outdoors.  Just a few miles away from the family farm is Olmstead Elementary School, where Anna (Type 1 Diabetic and namesake for Dale’s Wenonah canoe) attends school.  This small, rural school in the middle of a cornfield has embraced Anna and her family’s determination to raise funds for research and to find a cure for this disease.  The administration has demonstrated that not only is knowledge a powerful tool, but they have also done annual JDRF Walk fundraisers.

Today, Anna’s 5th grade class took an exciting field trip.  They visited the Cedar Grove Rosenwald School, which is a one-room school house on the National Register of Historic Places, and is located across the creek from Dale’s family farm.  Local resident, and prior student, Clarence Gamble spoke to the class about what it was like to attend the segregated African American school.  He later showed the students the outhouse (a 3-seater) that is also still in its original location. 

Dale’s sister, Judi Silvey, spoke to the students about The Grey Beard Adventurer.  You see, this group of 5th graders and their teachers have been following “that man in the canoe” on Spot Tracker each day.  Ms. Judi described the challenges that the team is facing and shared some of the funny stories that she brought back from the team’s departure at Lake Itaska, MN.  As the students left to make the short walk to their teacher's back yard for a picnic lunch, they expressed their excitement to know that Mr. Dale grew up right there, on Cedar Grove Road!  Here’s a few pictures and well-wishes from Anna’s class…but the overall message is "Keep on working hard Dale Sanders and team!" We are all pulling for you from home, and sending our love and support.  (These students will be 6th graders before Dale's Source to Sea run is completed!)

Our AnnA

3-Seater!! (Impressive, even in KY!)

Anna and friends